Former WCU player McDermott fights to recover from accident

BRYN MAWR – When West Chester University football coach Bill Zwaan first went to the hospital to see Brian McDermott, his former fullback was in so much pain and so sedated, he could barely speak. But Zwaan didn’t need to hear WCU’s 2011 co-captain say a word to know that McDermott was a fighter and that the 24-year-old was going to persevere through the difficult days and years that surely lie ahead.

For Zwaan, McDermott is much more than a former player. McDermott’s father, Mike, was Zwaan’s high school football teammate at Archbishop Carroll and the two have remained close ever since. Zwaan’s known Brian since he was a youngster, and he knew that the type of drive and determination he always showed on the football field was going to translate to this latest, much more serious, situation.

“Brian is not looking at this as a setback but as a challenge,” Zwaan said. “He is such a great role model.”

The accident that put McDermott into Christiana Hospital was so horrific, one major news outlet erroneously reported that he had died from his injuries. It happened in the early morning hours of May 26th, when McDermott was struck by a Delaware State Police Cruiser as he was walking along the edge of Coastal Highway (Rt. 1) in Dewey Beach. A 27-year-old male trooper was behind the wheel.

According to police, the force of the collision was enough to throw McDermott onto the roadway. The trooper provided first aid until emergency medical providers arrived on the scene. McDermott was eventually airlifted to Christiana Hospital with critical lower body injuries that included a broken pelvis, internal bleeding and a badly mangled left leg.

“At first they thought they could save the leg, but they had to stop internal bleeding first,” Zwaan reported. “But as the days progressed, his leg started getting worse and they eventually had to amputate it below the knee.”

After spending nearly seven weeks in the hospital, McDermott finally moved back into his parents’ Bryn Mawr home on July 10. He is now waiting for his injuries to heal enough to be fitted with a prosthetic leg and get on with his life. And on July 21st, his family and friends have organized a benefit at the Great American Pub in Conshohocken.

“I don’t really have a role, but I am just planning to go and stay as long as I can,” McDermott said. “I hear there is going to be a ton of people there so hopefully I can talk to everybody.

“The support has been amazing. It’s really helped me get through a tough situation.”

The ‘Benefit for Brian’ promises an afternoon of food, drink, raffles and “celebrating the fight and determination of our good friend Brian.” Tickets are $40, include food and drink, and can be purchased by contacting his older brother, Pat, at 610-864-7633 or PatMcD44@gmail.com. Donations are also being accepted.

“They put it together pretty quickly,” Zwaan said. “We got word and started sending it to as many people as we could think of. Even if people can’t come they can make a donation. The insurance doesn’t cover everything, so he has some bills and he is going to continue to have bills because only a certain amount for the prosthesis is covered.”

Zwaan made several additional visits to the hospital after it was determined that the leg needed to be amputated, and now says it is appropriate that the flyer for the benefit says “God Gives His Hardest Battles To His Strongest Soldiers.”

“Brian knew what was going to happen, what was ahead of him, and his attitude has just been unbelievable,” Zwaan said. “He is focused on this being the next challenge in his life and how he is going to attack it.

“His spirits were as good as you could hope it would be. His plan is to get a prosthesis, start working on it and doing as much as he can. He is a very athletic, strength-and-condition type of guy, so he wants to work his way back. He knows there are going to be limitations as to what he can do, but he wants to get back as far as he can.”

The accident is currently under investigation by the Delaware State Police. They have not yet issued a statement concerning the cause other than noting that McDermott was straddling the edge of the shoulder and the travel lane. According to Zwaan, he was walking with several friends, including a few unnamed former WCU teammates, at the time of the collision. There were no other injuries.

McDermott said he does not remember much about the accident, but he is well aware of the tremendous response so far from all concerned.

“It’s definitely been overwhelming,” McDermott said. “When I was in the hospital, the nurses were saying they had never seen the kind of support I’ve received. They were amazed that every day, more and more kept coming to see me.

“This is definitely the biggest challenge of my life so far. But I am motivated to get going and, somehow, become better from it. I am not going to let it hold me back from reaching the goals I want to achieve.”

The idea for the benefit started with Pat, who also played fullback for Zwaan from 2005-08. The two brothers played together at WCU for two seasons, and in one game against Cheyney in 2008, they each scored a touchdown.

“Anybody can say how they would deal something like this – that they will become a better person and make the best of the circumstances – but Brian is living it,” said Pat, who is three years older. “It is easier said than done.

“But his character, his mental strength and his physical strength have gotten him to where he is right now. Some people have it a lot worse than he does and Brian understands that.”

During his career at West Chester (2007-11), McDermott appeared in 46 games, made six starts and amassed 291 rushing yards, eight receptions, and scored 10 TDs. His biggest impact, according to Zwaan, was his leadership abilities and his work ethic.

“In our offense, the fullback doesn’t get the football much,” Zwaan explained. “Brian was mainly a blocker, and a lot of times we play with one back and his position is not on the field.

“He was voted captain his senior year even though his role was not that of a star. He was voted captain because the type of person he is – a leader and such a hard worker. The other kids loved him and listened to him. The guys saw what he was made of.”

McDermott’s father, Mike, is the Fire Chief in Bryn Mawr, and Brian has served as a volunteer fireman for many years. Brian spent the last two years as an assistant football coach at Division III powerhouse Mount Union College in Ohio.

“I’ve been friends with Mike and Maureen, his Mom, for a very long time,” Zwaan said. “They are just a wonderful family. They have a tough road ahead and they need some help.

“It is such a tragic experience, but his Dad told me a couple times how Brian has been so moved by the amount of people who love him and want to do something for him. He’s had so much of an effect on his friends, his teammates, his schoolmates, his coaches and so forth, it’s meant a lot to Brian and his parents to see this, even though it’s a terrible way to find it out.”